Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the French Open, saying on Twitter that it's "the best thing for the tournament" and for her own well-being. The four-time Grand Slam champion and former No. 1-ranked player said in her tweet Monday that by pulling out, "everyone can get back to focusing on the tennis going on in Paris." Osaka's tweet came a day after she was fined $15,000 for skipping the postmatch news conference following her first-round victory. She also got a warning from all four Grand Slam tournaments that she could face stiffer penalties, including disqualification or even suspension, if she continues to avoid the media. Osaka's agent, Stuart Duguid, confirmed in an email to The Associated Press that the world's No. 2-ranked tennis player would withdraw before her second-round match. Osaka said she would be taking a break from competition. She also said that she has "suffered long bouts of depression" since the 2018 U.S. Open, which she won by beating Serena Williams in a final filled with controversy.
In other developments on Day 2 at Roland Garros, Serena Williams is a winner in the first scheduled night session in French Open history. She overcame two set points to beat Irina-Camelia Begu 7-6 (6), 6-2 under the lights in the first round. Matches at last year's tournament in September stretched into the night on courts with new lights. Williams and Begu took the court in the twilight at 9 p.m. with the stadium stands empty. Fans are being admitted for day matches this year, but not for night sessions.
NBA
Philadelphia center Joel Embiid left in the first quarter with a sore right knee and the 76ers lost Game 4 of their playoff series against the Washington Wizards 122-114. The result allows Washington to cut its deficit in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference first-round series to 3-1. The Sixers were trying to complete the franchise's first playoff sweep since 1985. Bradley Beal led Washington with 27 points and Russell Westbrook had 19 points, 21 rebounds and 14 assists for his 12th career playoff triple-double. Tobias Harris led Philadelphia with 21 points. Embiid had eight points and six rebounds before leaving.
In the NBA's other playoff game, Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points, and the top-seeded Utah Jazz grabbed a 3-1 lead by holding off the Memphis Grizzlies 120-113. Now the team with the NBA's best record in the regular season can close out this first round, best-of-seven series Wednesday night in Game 5 in Utah. Rudy Gobert scored 17 points. Jordan Clarkson, the NBA's 6th man of the year winner, scored 24. Ja Morant, who averaged 33.7 points through the first three games, scored 23 and had 12 assists for Memphis. Dillon Brooks and Jaren Jackson Jr. each added 21. De'Anthony Melton had all 15 of his points in the fourth quarter.
NHL
Casey Cizikas scored on a breakaway with 14:48 gone in overtime and Semyon Varlamov returned to the net to make 39 saves to lead the New York Islanders to a 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins and knotting their second-round playoff series at one game apiece. Game 3 is Thursday night in New York. Josh Bailey, Kyle Palmieri and Jean-Gabriel Pageau all scored in the second period. But Brad Marchand set up Patrice Bergeron's one-timer to make it a one-goal game midway through the third. Then Marchand tied it with a goal of his own about five minutes later.
Elsewhere, Carey Price made 29 saves and the Montreal Canadiens advanced to the second round by beating the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 in Game 7. Brendan Gallagher, Corey Perry and Tyler Toffoli also scored for the Canadiens, who stormed back from a 3-1 deficit for the third time in franchise history to win a series. Montreal advanced to the second round for the first time since 2015. The Canadiens will take on Winnipeg after the Jets swept Edmonton in the Canadian-based North Division's other series. Game 1 is Wednesday at Winnipeg. William Nylander had a late goal for Toronto, which hasn't advanced in the postseason since 2004.
In NHL news:
Commissioner Gary Bettman has upheld an eight-game suspension issued to Colorado Avalanche forward Nazem Kadri following his illegal check to the head of Blues defenseman Justin Faulk in Game 2 of a first-round series against St. Louis. Bettman heard Kadri's appeal before announcing his decision Monday. Kadri missed the last two games of the Blues series and Game 1 of the Avalanche's second-round series versus Vegas on Sunday night. If the suspension — the sixth of Kadri's career — is not completed during the playoffs, any remaining games will be served at the beginning of next season. The 30-year-old Kadri was the only Avalanche player to suit up in all 56 regular-season games. He finished with 11 goals and 21 assists. He also led the team in faceoff wins.
Vegas forward Ryan Reaves was scheduled to meet with the NHL's Department of Player Safety for his unsportsmanlike conduct in Game 1 of a second-round series against Colorado. Reaves drew a match penalty for attempting to injure an opponent when he threw Avalanche defenseman Ryan Graves to the ice in the third period. Colorado won the skirmish-filled game 7-1.
MLB
Pete Alonso homered and had four RBIs in his return from the injured list, Jacob deGrom pitched six shutout innings and the New York Mets beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-2 for their fifth straight victory. Making his second start since coming off the IL, deGrom allowed two hits while striking out eight and walking none. He lowered his ERA to 0.71, the best for a qualifying starter through May since Phillies left-hander Curt Short was at 0.64 in 1964. The Diamondbacks have lost 17 of their past 19 games.
Elsewhere in baseball:
Rich Hill finished May with the lowest monthly ERA in 75 years of a pitcher in his 40s, and the Tampa Bay Rays won for the 16th time in 17 games by keeping up their domination of the reeling Yankees with a 3-1 victory. Hill, a 41-year-old left-hander who is the oldest player in Rays' history, improved to 3-0 against the Yankees this season. He threw just 56 pitches through five scoreless innings and allowed three hits. Five of New York's first 16 batters hit his first pitch and six more hit his second.
Kyle Tucker had a season-best three hits and tied a career high with four RBIs as the Houston Astros beat former bench coach Alex Cora and the Boston Red Sox 11-2. This was the first time Cora, now managing the Red Sox, had faced the Astros since being suspended in 2020 for his role in Houston's sign-stealing scheme while with the team in 2017. Cora helped Houston win the World Series in 2017, then guided Boston to the 2018 title. He was fired by the Red Sox after his suspension, then rehired last November.
Max Schrock homered, tripled and doubled before leaving with an apparent leg injury, Wade Miley pitched six solid innings and the Cincinnati Reds cruised past the Philadelphia Phillies 11-1. Kyle Farmer homered and drove in five runs as Cincinnati sent the Phillies to their third straight loss.
Chris Taylor drove in three runs with a tiebreaking double that capped a 14-pitch at-bat in the sixth inning, rallying the Los Angeles Dodgers past the St. Louis Cardinals 9-4 to snap a three-game skid. Taylor fouled off nine pitches — four in a row twice — by Genesis Cabrera before delivering the two-out, bases-loaded double for a 6-3 lead. Two batters earlier, Cabrera issued a bases-loaded walk to Will Smith that tied the game. Taylor also homered in the second and doubled in the eighth. He went 3 for 4 with four RBIs. Trevor Bauer earned the victory, allowing four runs — three earned — and five hits in 6 2/3 innings.
Adalberto Mondesi hit a two-run homer, Mike Minor pitched six solid innings and the Kansas City Royals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-3. The Royals have won 10 of 16 to get back to .500 for the first time since an 11-game losing streak dropped them four games below. Minor allowed two runs and five hits. He struck out seven and walked one. Chad Kuhl took the loss in his return from the injured list. He gave up three runs and six hits in four innings.
Luis Urías hit a shot that bounced over the wall and brought home Omar Narváez with the winning run in the 10th inning as the Milwaukee Brewers edged the Detroit Tigers 3-2. The Brewers won their fifth straight and snapped the Tigers' three-game winning streak. The Tigers were starting a six-game road trip after posting their first home sweep of the New York Yankees since 2000. Willy Adames hit a two-run homer for the Brewers. Akil Baddoo had tying solo homer for the Tigers in the seventh.
José Ramírez's two-run homer and a solid start by reliever Cal Quantrill led Cleveland to a 3-1 win over the Chicago White Sox, giving the Indians their second straight split of seven-inning doubleheaders in two days. Ramírez connected for his 13th homer in the third inning off Jimmy Lambert to break a 1-1 tie. The Indians also split with Toronto on Sunday. In the first game, Adam Eaton's two-run homer and José Abreu's sacrifice fly in the eighth inning sent the White Sox to an 8-6 win. Indians starter Triston McKenzie struck out a club record eight straight hitters, two short of the major league record.
Rob Refsnyder bounced back from a run-in with the center-field fence to score the go-ahead run in the 10th inning on a wild pitch and the Minnesota Twins handed the Baltimore Orioles their 14th straight loss, 3-2. The Orioles' skid ties for their second-longest in team history — they also dropped 14 in a row in 1954, the season the club moved from St. Louis to Baltimore.
Javier Báez and Patrick Wisdom each homered twice, helping Kohl Stewart and the Chicago Cubs beat the San Diego Padres 7-2. Pressed into action after Trevor Williams had an appendectomy Sunday morning, Stewart pitched five innings of one-run ball in his first major league win since July 21, 2019, for Minnesota. Kris Bryant also went deep as Chicago won for the seventh time in eight games.
In MLB news:
Atlanta Braves star Marcell Ozuna has been granted a $20,000 bond on charges of aggravated assault by strangulation and battery against his wife. Ozuna has been jailed since Saturday, when police officers in the Atlanta suburb of Sandy Springs said they witnessed him attacking his wife, Genesis, while responding to a 911 call. During his initial appearance in Fulton County Magistrate Court, Ozuna was ordered to have no contact with his wife. Attorneys said the couple is in the process of getting divorced.
The Chicago Cubs placed right-hander Trevor Williams on the 10-day injured list, adding another name to their long list of injured players. Williams was scheduled to start Monday against San Diego, but he had an appendectomy Sunday. Kohl Stewart was recalled from Triple-A Iowa to take Williams' turn against the Padres. Despite a rash of injuries, the Cubs have won 12 of 16 heading into the series with San Diego. Williams, Jason Heyward, Jake Marisnick, Nico Hoerner, Matt Duffy, Alec Mills and Justin Steele have gone on the IL since May 10.
The Chicago White Sox have placed pitcher Michael Kopech on the 10-day injured list with a strained left hamstring. The team also recalled right-hander Jimmy Lambert from Triple-A Charlotte to serve as the club's 27th man for its doubleheader against the Indians. Kopech, who is 2-0 with a 1.78 ERA in 13 games, had been on the bereavement list last week. The 25-year-old's stint on the injured list is retroactive to May 28. The 26-year-old Lambert had a 7.71 ERA in five starts with Charlotte this season.
SOCCER
Brazil will host Copa America for the second consecutive time after Colombia and Argentina were dropped as organizers of the tournament. South American soccer body CONMEBOL announced the decision on Monday on Twitter. Sunday night it ruled out Argentina amid an increase in COVID-19 cases in the country. Colombia was removed as co-host as street protests against President Iván Duque rocked the nation. More than 460,000 people died of COVID-19 in Brazil, with many analysts expecting another wave of the disease to hit the country by late June. Brazil is the defending champion of Copa America, which it hosted in 2019.
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